WASHINGTON: Far from being a ruse, Moscow‘s interference in US elections, mocked by MAGA supremo Donald Trump as the “Russia Russia Russia hoax,” is real and current, US intelligence agencies said on Monday.
The agencies, trashed by Trumpists as a war-mongering “Deep State,” said while Russia is attempting to boost Trump’s candidacy by denigrating his opponent Kamala Harris, China and Iran are also sowing discord in the US using artificial intelligence.
A one-page summary of the intelligence assessment released by the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) cited a specific instance where Russian influencers purportedly staged a video in which a woman claims she was the victim of a hit-and-run car accident by Vice President Harris, and altered videos of her speeches. Social media abounds in slowed down videos of Kamala Harris to make her appear drunk.
“Russia has generated the most AI content related to the election and has done so across all four mediums—text, images, audio, and video… consistent with Russia’s broader efforts to boost the former President’s candidacy and denigrate the Vice President and the Democratic Party,” the summary said.
The assessment said China is also using AI in broader influence operations seeking to shape global views of China and amplify divisive U.S. political issues, but not for any specific operations targeting U.S. election outcomes.
Trump has repeatedly ridiculed claims that Russia put its thumb on the election scale in his favor in 2016, when he won three states narrowly to clinch the Presidency, while suggesting that an entrenched Deep State in Washington wants an unnecessary confrontation with Moscow. Democrats see him as a Russian stooge who will throw Ukraine under the bus if he returns to the White House, which is why they say Moscow is backing him.
In fact, the Russia-Ukraine war reared up in the battleground state of Pennsylvania this weekend when Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky visited an arms factory in Scranton — which happens to be President Biden’s home turf — that is churning out munitions for Ukraine. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant has ramped up production over the past year to supply more than 3 million 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine, and Zelensky, who is set to meet Biden at the White House on Wednesday, is asking for more arms to beat back Russia.
“It is in places like this where you can truly feel that the democratic world can prevail. Thanks to people like these — in Ukraine, in America, and in all partner countries — who work tirelessly to ensure that life is protected,” he wrote on X after the visit to the munitions plant, where he and Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor Josh Shapiro signed on artillery shells.
The visit outraged Trump and his MAGA principals who fumed on social media that “a foreign leader is essentially campaigning for Harris on American soil” and bilking billions of US taxpayer dollars to wage a futile war. “I think Zelenskiy is the greatest salesman in history. Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with 60 billion dollars,” Trump said at a rally in western Pennsylvania. “He wants them to win this election so badly, but I would do differently – I will work out peace.
Democrats in turn claimed Putin has “bought control of Trump’s party” by paying millions to MAGA influencers, a reference to recent disclosures of lavish funding by Russia-backed companies for pro-MAGA commentators. “Vice President Harris understands that if America walks away from Ukraine, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe and our NATO allies,” the Harris campaign shot back.
Democrats are eyeing a large Polish-American vote in Pennsylvania invoking Russian threats to Poland similar to its invasion of Ukraine. “Why don’t you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch?” Harris asked Trump during their debate earlier this month.